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Meningitis outbreak deaths rise to 19
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Laboratory technician Ruth Rutledge packages cerebrospinal fluid of the three confirmed meningitis cases in Minn., to send to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta for further testing, at the Minnesota Department of Health in St. Paul, Minn., on Tuesday, Oct. 9, 2012. The number of people sickened by a deadly meningitis outbreak has now reached 119 cases, including 11 deaths, according to the CDC. The states involved in the outbreak are Tennessee, Michigan, Virginia, Indiana, Florida, Maryland, Minnesota, North Carolina, New Jersey and Ohio. Officials have tied the outbreak of rare fungal meningitis to steroid shots for back pain. (AP Photo/Hannah Foslien)
Posted 10/17/12
NEW YORK — Health officials say four more people have died in the national meningitis outbreak, bringing the number of deaths to 19.
The deaths are among the 247 people in 15 states sickened in the outbreak, which has been tied to steroid shots for back pain. Most have a rare fungal form of meningitis. Two have joint infections.
A specialty pharmacy in Massachusetts made the steroid, and federal officials are investigating the business.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated the count on Wednesday. There were two more deaths reported in Tennessee and one each in Florida and Virginia.
The CDC also said test results so far show infections with three kinds of fungus. Most were a form of black mold.
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Online:
CDC outbreak information: http://www.cdc.gov/HAI/outbreaks/meningitis.html